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The Travelling Asteroid Mining Consortium: "Belters"
This faction was created after the foundation of the planets under the First Cadre in what is known as the Core Worlds and is actually spread throughout the "Verse" which makes up the three regions of space known as the Core, Median, and Rim space. The TAMC were founded by a fringe group of Travellers, the group that had been once known on Earth to be derogitorily called "gypsies." This group had, back in the Solar System, also based their freedom-loving community among the Asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. They became colloquially known as "Belters." The livelihood of a "Belter" began as a mining prospectors, searching for valuable mineral deposits to exploit among the Asteroids. This continues today in the Verse, although the community is spread very thin. Belters are renowned for objecting to governmental intrusion of any sort. They are territorial of their little mining colony camps and the actual locations of them are a matter of secrecy within Belter families. A general xenophobic distrust of "Godjos" and "Godjis" meaning male and female outsiders, is predominant. They maintain a dialect of their original Romani language called Ro-chiib which they guard as a secret language which became widely used in the criminal underground to pass information securely. Planetary security forces and the Federalist Reserve call the language "Roach." This word gave rise to derogatorily calling criminal Belters "Roaches." Though this cements the concept that humans didn't traverse deep space without bringing the cockroach pest animal, it also shows the resilience of the criminal element of society. The term "roach" became one of pride to those who grew up on the underbelly of society, particularly in the slums of the core worlds or the fringes of wild Rim space. Statistically this shows as a general -2 Social Standing, but no negatives when speaking to criminals, as well as +2 Social Standing with criminal, fringe, or anti-government groups. Many Space Pirate crews have an accompaniment of Roaches on board, and many pirate bases are located in asteroid fields or on barren moons. This usually happens when a productive family of Belters either run out of resources in their mining territories, or become enemies of their host faction or government. The society and culture of the Belter community is one of resourcefulness, tenacity, and superstition. Their first pride is in their ability to live in low and zero gravity environments for prolonged periods of time. This has altered their movement in most higher gravity circumstances by giving them a loping, bird-like walking gait, preferring to crouch low to the ground and hold on to solid surfaces or perch on prominent railings and sturdy outcroppings. They don't do well at running, but are adept at jumping and moving through narrow openings. This gives them benefits to movement in microgravity and crowded situations, but lowers their effective stamina when running. Expressed in statistics, Belters have +2 DEXTERITY, -1 ENDURANCE. Belter skills are not ones to ignore. They have a cultural affinity with wearing, maintaining, and performing any activities while wearing a Vacc Suit. Life in a space suit is the first order of survival for a Belter. For those who live most of their lives outside an airlock, the suit is life. This means they don't receive any negatives granted by said equipment when performing basic tasks. Belters begin play with the Vacc Suit skill at a 1 and Zero G at a 0. Belters, contrary to what the authorities would believe, have no idle hands in their colonies. They admire those who have marketable skills and can contribute to their space-faring community. They get one Ship skill at a 1. Because they spend most of their lives under suspicion by authorities, they have learned to use their skills to either hide their criminal works, or comply to foreign laws without losing face. Belters have wither Deception or Admin skill at a 0. Living life on the fringes gives one an appreciation for keeping one's equipment in good repair and knowing what to look for through the eyes of sensory equipment. Belters have either Repair at a 0, or Sensors 0. These character modifications look like this... STR: 0 DEX: +2 END: -1 INT: 0 EDU: 0 SOC: -2 Skills: Vacc Suit: 1 Zero G: 0 Deception or Admin: 0 Repair or Sensors: 0 Special Notes: Belters have access to purchase up to Tech level 11 gear and start play with a free Vacc Suit in poor condition if their career path didn't already give them one. If their career gave them a Vacc Suit, increase the condition of that equipment by 1 for free. Belters increase ship skills and survival skills at half the time and cost of normal learning, but advanced education or social ranking takes half again more effort due to encountering prejudices. Belters failing out of a career can become a space pirate for free, in which case they gain a ship skill at a 1 and a "Mark of the Pirate," capping their social standing at a 5 so long as they have that mark. It gives them a +1 Social standing among space pirates, but a -1 Social Standing with everyone else.